Steam-engine.



R. L. DEAN.

STEAM ENGINE; ArPLIOATION FILED JUNE 19, 1913.

Patented Feb. 24, 1914.

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COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH ca. WASHINGTON. n. c.

R. L. DEAN.

STEAM ENGINE.

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R. L. DEAN.

STEAM ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 19, 1913.

Patented Feb. 24, 1914 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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ROBERT L. DEAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

STEAM-ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 24., 1914.

Original application filed May 27, 1912, Serial No. 699,977. Divided and this application filed June 19, 1913. Serial No. 774,512.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT L. DEAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in steam engines and has for its object the provision of an inexpensive engine of the turbine type which is of simple construction and improved operation, the present application being a division of my original application, filed May 27th, 1912, Serial No. 699,977 for steam engines.

The invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of an engine embodying my invention, Fig. 2, a section taken on line w-m of Fig. 1, Fig. 3, a section taken on line yg of Fig. 1, Fig. 4, a top plan view of the burner employed in the construction and showing other parts in section, Fig. 5, a detail section showing the water supply connection for the engine, Fig. 6, a detail section of a pump employed in connection with the engine, Fig. 7, a detail section of a tangential escape orifice employed in the engine, and Fig. 8, a detail section of a needle valve employed for supplying fuel to the burner.

The preferred form of construction, as illustrated in the drawings, comprises a casing 1 having ventilating openings 2 therein. A burner 3 is removably attached to the central lower portion of casing 1 and cooperates therewith to form a substantially cylindrical chamber in said casing. A fuel supply pipe 4 is arranged across the top of burner 3 and leads to a needle valve 5 which is arranged to supply fuel to burner 3, as shown in Fig. 3. Burner 3 is provided with the usual openings in its upper face, these openings gradually increasing in number from the right to left, as indicated in Fig. 4, so that a gradually increasing amount of heat will be supplied from right to left of said burner. An exhaust casing 6 is secured to the right hand end of easing 1 and is provided with exhaust openings 7 adapted to permit the free escape of gases from said chamber. A hollow shaft 8 is mounted in casings 1 and 6 and a spider frame 9 is secured to said shaft and arranged to rotate in casing 1. A pipe is connected with shaft 8 at the inner end of the bore therein and thence is extended radially to form a radially extending portion 10. The pipe is then wound upon spider frame 9 to form an interior coil 11. Clamping bars 12 are arranged over coil 11 and secured to spider frame 9 to hold said coil in position on said frame. From the end of coil 11 the pipe is extended inwardly, as shown at 13, given a partial turn around the hub of the spider frame 9 and extended back to adjacent the starting point where it is turned outwardly, as at 14, and is wound over coil 11 to form an exterior coil 15. Coil 15 is further secured to clamping bars 12 by means of clips 16, as shown. From the end of coil 15 the pipe is extended inwardly, as at 17, and thence along the hub of the spider frame 9 to adjacent the starting point Where it is turned outwardly to form a radially extending portion 19. The portion 19 is secured to an extension 20 on spider frame 9, as indicated. At its outer end pipe portion 19 is provided with a tangentially disposed portion 21 which in turn is provided with a threaded plug 22 having an outwardly flaring tangential escape orifice 23, as shown in Figs. 2 and 7.

A ventilating fan 24 is secured to shaft 8 in casing 6 and is arranged to exhaust the burnt gases from casing 1 and discharge them through openings 7. Shaft 8 is also provided with a driving pulley 25 by the means of which power may be transmitted from the engine. Casings 1 and 6 are provided with asbestos linings 26 and 27 to impede the radiation of the heat therefrom.

A check valve 28 is arranged in the open end of the bore of shaft 8 and is given a swiveled connection, through the medium of a sleeve 29, with a water supply pipe 30, as shown in Fig. 5. Pipe 30 leads to a pump 31 which is provided with a check valve 32 arranged to permit passage of water from said pump to pipe 30 but prevent back-flow thereof. Pump 31 is also provided with a water supply pipe 33 which in turn is provided with a check valve 34 adapted to permit entry of Water to said pump but prevent back-flow thereof. Pump 31 is provided with an elongated piston 35, and, it will be observed, that reciprocation of said piston will force water into pipe 30 thence into shaft 8. Piston 35 is operated by means of a link 36 secured at one end of said piston and at its other end to a crank arm 37 operated by a worm wheel 38. \Vorm wheel 38 meshes with a Worm 39 secured to the end of shaft 8 so that rotation of shaft 8 causes automatic feed of water thereto. Pump 31 is also provided with a manually operated elongated piston 40 by means of which water may be manually supplied to shaft 8 to start the engine or to assist in the running thereof. Piston 40 is provided with a latch 41 adapted to engage under head 42 on pump 31 to lock said piston 40 against movement during the normal power operation of piston 35.

In use, water is supplied to shaft 8 and coil 11 and burner 3 is lighted. Steam generated in coil 11 will issue fro-m tangential orifice 23 at a high rate of speed and acting on the principle of the ordinary re-action turbine engine, will cause the coils and shaft 8 to rotate at a high rate of speed. Rotation of shaft 8 causes automatic feed of water thereto and to coil 11, so that the higher the speed of rotation the greater the amount of water supplied to the coil. But the greater the amount of water supplied to the coil, the more said water tends to cool said coil and thus impede the generation of steam therein, so that there is a certain speed at which the amount of steam generated by the heat from burner 3 will just balance or offset the water supplied by pump 31 and this is the normal speed of the engine and the speed which will be automatically assumed by the same. Any increase in speed would supply too much water to the coil and thus reduce the speed, and any decrease in speed causes more rapid generation and superheating of the steam, which in turn will tend to increase the speed. By arranging the openings in burner 3 to gradually increase the quantity of heat supplied the coils from right to left, the water entering coil 11 is gradually heated and formed into steam by the time it reaches the end of said coil, thus using the heat supplied efficiently and also insuring that pipe portion 10 will contain water and pipe portion 13 will contain steam, so that the centrifugal action of the water in pipe portion 12 overcomes that of the steam in pipe portion 13 and thus assists the action of pump 31 in supplying water .to shaft 8. t

The rapid rotation of coil 13 tends to spread the water therein in a thin sheet against the outer walls of said coil and thus facilitates the rapid generation .of steam. The fan 24 Withdraws burnt gases from casing 1 and the agitation produced by the rapid rotation of coils 11 and 15 and spider frame 9 serves to thoroughly mix the air in said casing and thus promote combustion. The outwardly flaring tangential escape nozzle 23 facilitates the rapid expansion of the escaping steam and thus tends to increase the speed of rotation. By extending the pipe portion 9 and orifice 23 radially beyond the diameter of the coils 11 and 15 a greater peripheral speed is obtained for orifice Q3 and thus the reactionary effect of said orifice is increased.

lVhile I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. 1, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, butdesire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An engine comprising a hollow shaft; a coil mounted on said shaft to rotate therewith, one end of said coil being connected in communication with the interior of said shaft and the other end of said coil being provided with a tangential orifice; means for supplying water to the interior of said shaft; and means for heating said coil, substantially as described.

2. An engine comprising a hollow shaft; a coil mounted upon said shaft to rotate therewith, one end of said coil being connected in communication with the interior of said shaft and the other end of said coil being provided with an outwardly flaring tangential orifice; means for supplying water to the interior of said shaft; and means for heating said coil, substantially as described.

3. An engine comprising a hollow shaft; a pump driven by the shaft; a pipe leading from said pump, and having a swiveled connection with said shaft; a coil mounted upon said shaft to rotate therewith, one end of said coil being in communication with the interior of said shaft and the other end of said coil being provided with an out wardly flaring tangential orifice and means for heating said coil, substantially as described.

4. An engine comprising a hollow shaft; a coil mounted upon said shaft to rotate therewith, one end of said coil being connected in communication with the interior of said shaft and the other end of said coil being extended radiallv and provided with a tangential orifice; means for supplying water to the interior of said shaft; and

means for heating said coil, substantially as described.

5. An engine comprising a hollow shaft; a coil mounted upon said shaft to rotate therewith, one end of said coil being connected in communication with the interior of said shaft and the other end of said coil being extended radially and provided with an outwardly flaring tangential orifice; means for supplying water to the interior of said shaft; and means for heating said coil, substantially as described.

6. An engine comprising a casing; a hollow shaft mounted in said casing; a pipe having one end communicating with the interior of said shaft, said pipe being thence wound about said shaft to form an interior coil and then brought back and wound about said interior coil to form an exterior coil, the outer end of said pipe being then brought back and provided with a tangential orifice; a burner arranged to heat said coil; and

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

means for supplying Water to said shaft, substantially as described.

7. An engine comprising a casing; a hol 10W shaft mounted in said casing; a pipe having one end communicating with the interior of said shaft, said pipe being thence wound about said shaft to form an interior coil and then brought back and wound about said interior coil to form an exterior coil, the outer end of said pipe being then brought back and provided with an outwardly flaring tangential orifice; a burner arranged to heat said coil; and means for supplying water to' said shaft, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT L. DEAN.

Vitnesses JOSHUA R. H. Porr'rs, HELEN F. LILLIs. 

